Can you suddenly develop side effects from medication over time?

Side effects can happen at any time. They can occur when you first take a medicine, with changes in dosage, or if you stop taking the medicine suddenly or too soon. If you begin to take other prescriptions or non-prescription products, interactions among the medicines may cause side effects as well.

What does an allergic reaction to medication look like?

Drug rashes can appear as a variety of skin rashes, including pink to red bumps, hives, blisters, red patches, pus-filled bumps (pustules), or sensitivity to sunlight. Drug rashes may involve the entire skin surface, or they may be limited to one or a few body parts. Itching is common in many drug rashes.

How long after stopping a medication to the side effects go away?

Another difference is that discontinuation syndrome often involves physical symptoms that aren’t associated with depression or anxiety, such as dizziness, nausea, or flu-like symptoms. With discontinuation syndrome, the symptoms eventually go away, usually within one to three weeks.

How long does it take for a medication allergic reaction to go away?

They may take a few hours to a few days to disappear. If the exposure to the allergen continues, such as during a spring pollen season, allergic reactions may last for longer periods such as a few weeks to months. Even with adequate treatment, some allergic reactions may take two to four weeks to go away.

How quick is an allergic reaction to medication?

Signs and symptoms of a serious drug allergy often occur within an hour after taking a drug. Other reactions, particularly rashes, can occur hours, days or weeks later.

Can you have a delayed allergic reaction to medication?

If you have been exposed to the drug before, the rash may start quickly, within the first day or two after taking the drug. The reaction also can be delayed and not occur until 8 to 10 days after starting the drug. It is even possible to develop the rash after you have finished a one week course of medication.

Can you develop an allergy to a drug you’ve taken for years?

And you can develop an allergy to something at any time — even a drug you’ve taken safely for years. Most of the time, a bad reaction to a drug doesn’t mean you have an allergy. Side effects are common, especially as your body gets used to a new medication.

Can over-the-counter medications cause a drug allergy?

Any medication — over-the-counter, prescription or herbal — is capable of inducing a drug allergy. However, a drug allergy is more likely with certain medications. The most common signs and symptoms of drug allergy are hives, rash or fever.

Can medications cause new side effects years after starting?

You’re probably mindful of side effects ― stomach pains, headaches, lethargy ― that pop up in the first days or weeks after beginning a new medication. However, you might not realize drugs can actually cause new side effects months or years after starting a regimen, even if your body initially tolerated the medication quite well.

What should I do if I have an allergic reaction to medication?

Call 911 or emergency medical help if you experience signs of a severe reaction or suspected anaphylaxis after taking a medication. If you have milder symptoms of a drug allergy, see your doctor as soon as possible.